1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of therapeutic and protective devices, particularly those related to anatomical joints and other body parts.
2. Background
In sports, recreational and therapeutic settings, athletic tape, bandages and braces are used to cover anatomical parts in order to provide support and protection. For example, gymnasts may tape their wrists for added support, and boxers may apply athletic tape to their hands and fingers for added padding. Football players may tape their fingers for abrasion protection or to improve grip. Tennis players may wear a knee brace to support their joint during rapid movements, and rugby players may wear elbow sleeves to protect them from multiple impacts. Furthermore, physical therapists may use stretchable bandages or plastic cling wrap to adhere a bag of ice to an ailing body part of a patient. Athletic tape, bandages and braces may also used to cover the anatomical parts or body parts of animals (e.g., horses, dogs, etc.)
Protective and supportive coverings are used in non-therapeutic applications as well. For example, mechanics may wear gloves to protect their knuckles from scrapes and scratches while performing car maintenance but prefer to have their fingertips exposed for increased feel.
Other devices, such as athletic tape, elastomeric wraps, and neoprene sleeves have been used for these application, but can have shortcomings. For example, athletic tape can be difficult to apply to achieve the desired support. Neoprene sleeves, although they have some elasticity, cannot provide a customizable fit and can slip and cause discomfort. The support and/or compression provided by an elastomeric wrap can be somewhat adjusted, by the amount of tension applied to the material, but this can be difficult to control. Further, elastomeric supports can lose their elasticity, and therefore their effectiveness.
“Heat-shrink” tubing is a product used extensively in electrical work to insulate wires, electrical joints and connections from abrasion and environmental stresses. The tubing is placed over the original wire and heat is applied to the tubing in order to shrink it to the diameter of the covered object.
When using heat to activate a shrinking tube over a body part, however, it would be important to ensure that the shrink-activating temperature is less than the burn temperature of skin. Water heaters are typically set at or below 130 degrees Fahrenheit due to the risk of scalding one's skin. Typical heat-shrink materials can be fabricated to have a specific shrink temperature, which can be below 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that heat-shrink material can shrink around a body part without burning the user.
Conversely, “cold-shrink” tubing does not require heating and shrinks when removed from its support structure. Other types of contracting materials can be activated by applying a chemical reagent, ultraviolet light, infrared light, radiation or other stimulus.
By contracting a material around a target anatomy, one can obtain a custom fit. In many therapeutic and protective applications, having a snug, yet comfortable fit is critical to device performance. Slippage of a device can cause discomfort, and a loose fit can diminish the support given by the device. In addition, by varying the thickness and elasticity of a material within a device, one can customize for support, compression, and other desired parameters as well.
Shrink tubing has many of the same advantages that tape, braces and bandages have, without many of their disadvantages. Shrink tubing is inexpensive, easy to apply, conforms around the body part, is waterproof, can be treated with adhesives or lubricants, is easy to remove, stays fixed in place, is orthopedically supportive, and provides a protective layer.
What is needed is a disposable, customizable sleeve or wrap fabricated from a “shrink” material that can be quickly and easily applied to support, treat, or protect a joint or other body part.